I’ve started a new blog.  All of the content on my blog here has been moved there too, plus includes new blog posts.  I hope you’ll follow me there and use the RSS Feed and join me there.  My new blog is:

www.MyDailyMinutes.com

Thanks so much.  I look forward to hanging out with you there!

Believe In Yourself,
Cathy, PCC, CLC
Professional Certified Coach and Certified Life Coach
Certified Back On Track Facilitator

50 TIPS TO HELP YOU SUCCEED AT “NORMAL” EATING
from psychology of eating expert Karen R. Koenig, LCSW, M.Ed.
author of:
Nice Girls Finish Fat, the Rules of “Normal” Eating, the Food and Feelings Workbook,
and What Every Therapist Needs to Know About Treating Eating and Weight Issues

No matter how many years or decades you’ve been overeating or how many
diets have failed you (notice I didn’t say that you failed on the diets but that they failed
you!), you can learn how to become a “normal” eater—eating when you’re hungry,
choosing satisfying foods, remaining aware and enjoying food, and stopping when
you’re full or satisfied. To do so, you will have to be focused like a laser and persistent
like a dog digging for a bone, not expect overnight success, switch your attention from
the scale to your appetite, and learn effective life skills to manage stress and distress.
I’ve taught hundreds of disregulated eaters how to eat “normally” and I can teach
you! Here are 50 tips to speed you on your way…

Self-Talk
1. Look in the mirror daily and tell yourself you can learn the skills of “normal” eating.
2. Instead of thinking there are “good” and “bad” foods, consider them as nutritional
or non-nutritional (“good” and “bad” are moral terms that are best avoided in the
food arena).
3. Don’t put yourself down for the mistakes you make with food. Rather, lavishly
praise yourself for all your successes, even the tiniest ones.
4. If experience tells you that diets don’t keep your weight off, don’t try to convince
yourself you should be dieting. Instead, give yourself points for trying a different
approach.
5. Never say anything to yourself you wouldn’t say to a young child you love,
including calling yourself stupid, hopeless, bad, a failure, worthless. Be your own
cheerleader by generating positive thoughts about your progress.
6. Avoid all-or-nothing thinking and using words like never and always. Remind
yourself that most of life is not black and white, but gray.
7. Detoxify negative things people say about you that are untrue rather than repeating
them to yourself. Remember that what people say belongs to them, not to you,
even if your name is attached to their words.
8. Ask yourself often how you are feeling so you can become connected to your
emotions, but ask only with curiosity not condemnation.
9. Stop judging yourself harshly and start developing self-compassion. Treat yourself
lovingly and practice speaking to yourself with extreme esteem.
10. Do not keep telling yourself that learning to be a “normal” eater is hard because
saying so only programs you to find the work difficult. Instead, substitute the words
challenging or doable.

Hunger
11. Check in with yourself often to see how hungry you are using descriptions such as
not hungry, moderate, very, famished or a 1-10 scale.
12. Every time you think about food, ask yourself if you’re really hungry enough to eat.
13. Experiment with eating smaller meals more frequently.
14. Consider your hunger as a signal that you need fuel, not that you have to go out
and seek the most fantastic eating experience of your life.
15. Practice believing that hunger is for fuel and pleasure, not for meeting emotional
needs.

Choosing Satisfying Foods
16. Don’t get hung up on what other people are eating, but ask yourself what you
would like to eat.
17. Remind yourself that foods fall on a nutritional continuum (high value/low value),
not on a moral continuum (good/bad).
18. Never eat without stopping to consider what you want first. Spend time making a
satisfying choice.
19. Refrain from allowing guilt or shame to contaminate your eating decisions.
20. Don’t eat foods you don’t find satisfying because they’ll remind you of being on a
diet.

Eating with Awareness and Enjoyment
21. Before you eat, look at your food, the portion size, its presentation. Breathe
deeply.
22. Chew every mouthful thoroughly to release flavor.
23. Let food sit on your tongue to let your taste buds absorb flavor.
24. When you’re talking, stop eating and when you’re eating, stop talking.
25. Stay connected to your body’s appetite signals while you’re eating.
26. Push away guilt and shame while you’re eating and focus on sensory pleasure.
27. Pause while you’re eating to see how you’re feeling about your food in terms of
quality and quantity.
28. Stop eating when flavor pleasure declines as it will after a while.
29. Rather than being determined to polish off all of the food in front of you, seek the
moment when flavor peaks and you feel an internal “Ah” of satisfaction—and stop.
30. Keep asking yourself while you’re eating, “Am I full?” and “Am I satisfied?”

Stopping When You’re Full or Satisfied
31. Think of full as being enough food (fuel) in your belly and satisfied as being the
high point of pleasure.
32. Quantify fullness and satisfaction with numbers or words such as nearly, too, just
or a 1-10 scale.
33. When you feel full or satisfied, focus on that sensation and broadcast it to your
whole body.
34. When you’re done eating, put down utensils, push away your plate, get up—do
whatever you need to do to disconnect yourself from the food.
35. Make sure you’re not focusing on the food that’s left and believing you have to
finish it or clean your plate. You decide when enough is enough.

Beliefs to Change
36. From “I need to diet to lose weight” to “Diets don’t work long term.”
37. From “This is too hard” to “I can learn to do this over time.”
38. From “This will take too long” to “If I don’t change now, I’ll only be back in this
same place again so I might as well get going on it.”
39. From “Losing weight is the most important thing” to “I will lose weight if I honor my
appetite and learn to eat ‘normally.’”
40. From “I am bad/worthless/ugly if I’m overweight,” to “I accept my body as it is and
will still try to improve it.”

Stopping Emotional Eating
41. When you have the urge to eat when you’re not hungry, ask yourself what you
might be feeling.
42. Remind yourself that feelings need a different response than food.
43. Get to know what emotions trigger unwanted eating—boredom, loneliness, anxiety,
shame, guilt, disappointment, helplessness—and then learn better ways of dealing
with them.
44. Keep a feelings log so you know what’s going on inside of yourself all day long.
45. Reduce stress which will lessen frustration, helplessness, and feeling
overwhelmed.
46. Make sure you’re taking care of yourself as least as well as you take care of
others.
47. If you find yourself eating when you’re upset, don’t be hard on yourself. Be
compassionate and curious and consider your behavior a learning experience.
48. Get help through therapy if you have a history of trauma or abuse, as there is a
strong correlation between such a history and emotional eating.
49. Be responsible for yourself and don’t blame others for your emotional eating.
50. Tell yourself that you can bear any emotion, practice doing so, and you’ll be
amazed at the emotional muscle you’ll build.

“SUCCESS IS A LIFESTYLE, NOT A DIET”

Believe In Yourself,
Cathy, PCC-ICF, CLC
Professional Certified Coach, Certified Life Coach
Certified Back On Track Facilitator

1. Make a list and USE IT.  As you use up the last of any item, write it down on a list you keep updated throughout the week.  This will keep you organized and avoid impulsive purchases as long as you stick to the list.  Keep this list out in the open so your family can add to it too.

2. Avoid making two trips. If at all possible, try and do most of your errands the same day you do your grocery shopping. Make sure you take that list along with you, so you can go on the errand run without forgetting anything.  Two trips can result in buying extra things you don’t need, spend extra money and chalk up more unnecessary food choices that are usually unhealthy.

3. Be prepared. I wasn’t a Girl Scout but as you set out to the grocery store – be prepared.  When it is time to shop for your groceries, try and limit it to one day a week. Get your list, check it to make sure everything is on it that you need, organize any coupons you can use. Have a special plastic folder or envelope to hold your coupons and list, and keep it with you.  If you should unexpectedly have time in your day, stop at the store and get your shopping done as it works into your schedule.

4. Plan your route. Just as with any trip, know your route.  If you are running errands and need to stop at multiple stores, be organized if you have to make several stops, can save you both time and money with the high cost of gasoline.

5. Map it out. If you shop at the same grocery store, know where the aisles are and grocery items in each one.  The best areas of the grocery store are the outer perimeter areas.  Stop and think about it…..the fruits and vegetables, proteins, dairy are located around the outer perimeter.  Generally, the processed foods are in the center aisles.  Hang out as little as you can in the center aisles.  Most unhealthy food choices and impulse buying is made in the center aisles of processed food and the checkstands.  You’ll be able to easily pick up the items on your shopping list aisle by aisle, instead of in a random, disorganized fashion. This will help you get in and out of the store in no time.

6. Leave the kiddos at home.  If at all possible, leave the kids at home.  They call fall into the impulsive buying so easily (as evidenced by the commercials and layout of items in the stores).  Kids can put pressure on parents to purchased unplanned purchases.  Plus your focus then needs to be divided between the grocery shopping and making sure the kids aren’t pulling things off the shelves, or putting items you don’t wish to purchase in your cart.

7. Keep ‘em cool. Keep a bag or cooler in the trunk that can hold your perishable items. This will ensure no melted and leaky frozen food packages. Generally shop for groceries last when doing the errands–this way the frozen things won’t have a chance to melt.

8. Instruct the Baggers. Request that the Bagger pack all perishables together in the bags so you can grab them first when you return home. This also gives you the option of leaving the non-perishables to unpack at your leisure.

9. Think about your calendar. Look over your schedule for the upcoming week to see if there is something unusual you will be using in a recipe, or an event that may be coming up for which you need to purchase a card or gift. Put that on your list also.

10. Plan your recipes.  Select the recipes you’ll prepare through the week.  Add the ingredients to your grocery list rather than try to remember (and miss) items you’ll need.  This will save unnecessary stops at the grocery store during the week for that one forgotten item!

11. Do a bit of prep work. When you get home and unpack your groceries, do some preliminary meal preparation. Cook meat and then package it into meal sized dinners. Wash all your fruit and veggies. Cut the veggies so you can just put them into the dishes you plan on making. This can be a real time saver for your meal preparation.

12. Double up. Plan on cooking a double recipe for some meals. Eat one and freeze the other for a busy weeknight dinner.

13. Create a meal plan. By having a meal plan for the week, along with the items needed list, you should have a quick and easy shopping adventure each and every week.  Doesn’t leave room for impulsive food choices as much.

14. Think outside the box. If you are particularly busy or unable to make your grocery trip, ask your spouse or friend to help you out.  Just as you assist them when they need you, same applies for you – even in a grocery store trip.  Sometimes delegation to others can be a very self-nurturing thing to do for yourself and a way for loved ones to give back to you as well.

These are some of the strategies I’ve used to change my grocery store trips from a shopping horror to an opportunity to promote my health, find new items to incorporate into my nutritional intake and my family.  Grocery stores can be a fun adventure if you plan it right.  Make it work for you!

Believe In Yourself,
Cathy, PCC-ICF, CLC
Professional Certified Coach, Certified Life Coach
Certified Back On Track Facilitator

I’ll be back within a few days.

Believe In Yourself,
Cathy, PCC, CLC
Professional Certified Coach, Certified Life Coach
WLS Coach, Certified Back On Track Facilitator

Sometimes it seems like many of us, me included, put off our goals for some magical date.  There is no magical date, your time is NOW!  We can put off our goals until some vague, magical date in the future….”Next Monday, the beginning of next month, next New Years, when my kids go back to school, when I change jobs, blah, blah, etc., etc.  Do any of these sound familiar to you?  When we wait, we waste time and our precious energy.  We also do more damage to our weight loss goals and make it even more difficult to get back on track.  We are putting off what we really want – to lose weight (or regained weight) and maintain it.

There is always something coming up.  There is always a reason (aka rationalization, excuse to put off getting back on track.  If you need a list, let me know.  I’ve got a long one! LOL.  When one distraction or reason disappears, it can be quickly replaced with a new one.  If we let it, there will always be something that can stand in your way if you allow it.  All we’re doing is cheating ourselves.  For every day that we put off taking action towards a goal, it is another day that we are putting off our success.

In the past, I’ve lacked the “want” of getting back on track.  I want to “want to” get back on track!  If you can relate, I’ll use the phrase from Nike – JUST DO IT.  Even if it means changing one habit moving towards getting back on track.  For example, instead of grazing all day, give yourself a stop time such as stopping grazing at 3:00 p.m., or graze every other day or whatever moves you forward to getting back on track.  If you do one thing, you are just that much closer to not just getting back on track but BEING back on track.  Whether you make the move to being completely back on track or take a single step by changing one thing, you create momentum.  That momentum will propel you forward to getting back on track…being on track…and staying on track!  YEA YOU!

Reaching your weight loss goals (or any goals) exist in today, right now.  If you put off taking action, you’re putting off your success.  Take your goals and action off hold and do it today.  Goals cannot be started in the future.  Today is yours.  So are your goals.  The only good time to start is right now.

Believe In Yourself,
Cathy, PCC-ICF, CLC
Professional Certified Coach, Certified Life Coach
Weight Loss Surgery Coach, Certified Back On Track Facilitator

Now I know how important consistency is.  I am what I repeatedly do. I have an engraved stone by my fireplace that says “We are what we repeated do. -Aristotle”.  It is so true.  We can get fast food via drive-thru, we can get money in ATMs or drive-thrus, microwaves, etc., we live in a society of having it now.  Instant gratification is now an accepted form of life.  People become so focused on wanting things now that they aren’t willing to spend the time consistently doing small things over time. This attitude results in loads of stress and lost opportunities.

Here’s a few tips how you can obtain the benefits of consistently doing small things.  Pick small goals that can be easily included in your regular daily schedule:

1.  Take a 10 minute walk in the morning.

2.  Rather than go to the break room or coffee kiosk, enjoy the outside and walk with a friendly co-worker for a change of environment and to de-stress.

3.  Enjoy the fruits of the season and bring fresh fruits and veggies to work for planned snacks.

4.  Enjoy a favorite hobby or pursue a new one for 15-30 minutes each day.

5.  Set up a new relaxing routine to wind down your day (bubble bath, sit outside and enjoy the stars, play games with family).

Set up specific goals based on the items above.  Write them down!!  Remember that goals are merely wishes until you write them down to give them a foundation to work from.  If your goal is to eat more healthy, any one (or all) of the above are small steps to get to your ultimate goal of eating healthy.  Same with exercise.  Essentially, you are taking your larger goal and breaking it down into small steps to get to the success of the larger goal.  Doing these small goals consistently will build a good foundation – a springboard for future success. Once you do these steps, consistently setting and achieving goals becomes an upward cycle. As you gain momentum, you will want to continue achieving new goals. One thing to watch out for is losing focus on the goals that built your springboard, which can cause the whole thing to fall apart.  Those goals should become good habits. Consistently building new habits can lead to personal breakthroughs that wouldn’t have otherwise happened.

Here’s something I’ve done:  I’ve been working on building up my physical endurance.  I have a herniation on my neck and spine so it is more difficult.  I have been using the Step Advanced on my Wii Fit with some success.  A couple of days ago, I was doing my Step Advanced routine and completed it.  I was having such a good time that I switched to some different games just to stay moving and stay in the fun.  I was hot, sweaty and tired but I felt a sense of joy as I was doing other games just for the sake of continuing to move.  As I continued to play, I kept getting better at the games and reaching higher scores.  I was scoring perfect high scores as a result of continuing for the fun of it.  Now, I’m even more excited about doing my Wii Fit routine and playing more.  I’ve been setting up small goals to increase my endurance (including the ones I shared with you above).  I have been consistently achieving the smaller goals which enabled me to take on more games, work out longer and incorporate more difficult levels.  If I hadn’t been consistently achieving smaller goals, I probably wouldn’t have had this breakthrough.

These same principles can work for you in all areas of your personal and professional life.  You are what you do – repeatedly and consistently.  Consistency is the key!  It isn’t the destination but the joy of the journey in getting there!

Believe In Yourself,
Cathy, PCC-ICF, CLC
Professional Certified Coach, Certified Life Coach
Weight Loss Surgery Coach, Certified Back On Track Facilitator

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill.
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile but you have to sigh.
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns.
And many a fellow turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out.
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man.
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor’s cup.
And he learned too late when the night came down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt.
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar.
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit,
It’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit.

And that’s worth thinking about.

Believe In Yourself,
Cathy, PCC-ICF, CLC
Professional Certified Coach, Certified Life Coach, Weight Loss Surgery Coach
Certified Back On Track Facilitator

When I compare yesterday to quite awhile ago, there’s a TON of difference. Slip ups today look like nothing compared to the damage of slip ups before.

None of us are perfect in following our nutritional program and exercise routine. We slip up. It’s not so much a question of “if” as of “when.” Many of us expect absolute perfection of ourselves when we are following a weight loss program. We feel discouraged and a failure when we go off track.

Don’t be discouraged. It is your consistent eating patterns over weeks and months, and not those occasional slip-ups, that determine your weight loss success. What’s more, there are effective strategies for regaining your dietary balance after  those slip-ups when you overdulge or fallen off the wagon. Get right back up and START where you are. Get back on track.  Remember, we didn’t gain our weight from one day of less than optimal choices.

The most important day after a slip up is the day after. THAT is the day that determines being back on track or creating a pattern of being off track. The day after, forgive and forget. Forgive yourself that you slipped up. It is gone. You could reflect on the reasons or cause as to why you went off track. Was it a situation or a person, and the resulting emotions that pulled you off track? Determine what occurred for you, learn from it as to how to do it differently in the future and move forward. Don’t beat yourself up as it does you ZERO good. It can actually cause you to get off track again. The past is the past but the current day and future are yours to do with as you want. If you stay on track on the day after, you’ve already created a momentum of being on track and STAYING on track.

Zoom out on your healthy lifestyle and don’t focus on one small period of time. Look at all you’ve accomplished already. Pick up where you left off and return to your success!

Believe In Yourself,
Cathy, PCC, CLC
Professional Certified Coach, Certified Life Coach
Weight Loss Surgery Coach
Certified Back On Track Facilitator

What do you see when you look in the mirror?  That is a loaded question for many of us.  A better question is do you like what you see when you look in the mirror.  Not just physically but do you like the person looking back at you?

I’m fat. I’m too skinny. I’d be happy if I were taller, shorter, had curly hair, straight hair, a smaller nose, bigger muscles, longer legs. Do any of these statements sound familiar? Are you used to putting yourself down? If so, you’re not alone. As a a person that struggles with weight and had weight loss surgery, you’re going through a ton of changes in your body. And as your body changes, so does your image of yourself. Lots of people have trouble adjusting, and this can affect their self-esteem.

Self-esteem is all about how much people value themselves, the pride they feel in themselves, and how worthwhile they feel. Self-esteem is the reputation you have with yourself.  Self-esteem is important because feeling good about yourself can affect how you act. A person who has high self-esteem will make friends easily, is more in control of his or her behavior, and will enjoy life more.

Body image is how someone feels about his or her own physical appearance.

For many people, especially those that have weight loss surgery or lost a lot of weight, body image can be closely linked to self-esteem.

What Influences a Person’s Self-Esteem?

Outside Influences

Some teens struggle with their self-esteem when they begin puberty because the body goes through many changes. These changes, combined with a natural desire to feel accepted, mean it can be tempting for people to compare themselves with others. They may compare themselves with the people around them or with actors and celebs they see on TV, in movies, or in magazines.  That unfavorable comparison continues into their adulthood and is never adjusted.

When we are overweight, our weight plays a big part in our self-esteem taking a hit or multiple hits.  Others tend to think less of us or consider less of us so we take that on ourselves.  Possibly, it doesn’t come from others but we do it to overselves too.

Family life can sometimes influence a person’s self-esteem. Some parents spend more time criticizing their kids and the way they look than praising them. This criticism may reduce a person’s ability to develop good self-esteem.  This can carry well into adulthood.

People may also experience negative comments and hurtful teasing about the way they look from others.  Although these often come from ignorance, sometimes they can affect another person’s body image and self-esteem.

We lives our lives in bodies that we don’t like or even are ashamed of and that plays into our self-esteem.  Essentially, we think our body = our value as a person and our self-esteem.